The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire

Ancestors of the Inka

Long before the Inkas reigned, there lived in these regions men like giants,
as large as the figures sculpted in stone reveal.

—Pedro de Cieza de León, chronicler of Peru, 1553

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Inka trapezoidal doorway, Pisac, Peru, 2014. Photo by Doug McMains, NMAI.

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Introduction Chavin Tiwanaku Wari Chimu

Inka Sacred Roads The Creator The Children of the Sun Milky Way

Creation Stories

The Creator—Tiqzi Wiracocha

QUECHUA
LANGUAGE
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Select highlighted words to hear them spoken in Quechua.
The Inka spoke the Quechua language, which is still spoken today in the Andes.
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For ancient Andean peoples, the creator of the universe was Tiqzi Wiracocha. He created Inti (the sun), Mamaquilla (the moon), stars, plants, animals, and people. He laid out the main roads of the Qhapaq Ñan.